Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

The barn at Squerryes Lodge is the end bay of a medieval aisled barn, with subsequent C18 and/or C19 alterations and C21 renovation.

Monument Types

• BARN (Medieval to Unknown - 1400 AD?) + Sci.Date

Full description

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Summary
The barn at Squerryes Lodge is the end bay of a medieval aisled barn, with subsequent C18 and/or C19 alterations and C21 renovation.
Reasons for Designation
The barn at Squerryes Lodge, the end bay of an early-C15 aisled barn, with later addition, is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:

Architectural interest:

* although a partial survival, the barn retains a significant proportion of fabric dated by dendrochronology to the early C15; * as a largely complete end bay, it is illustrative of the main structural components of a late medieval aisled barn; its unusual variation of the hipped collar-purlin roof adds further structural interest.

Historic interest:

* in its scale, section and framing detail, the building is illustrative of Kentish vernacular building traditions and the high status of the county’s great monastic or feudal barns.

Group value:

* although not necessarily in its original location, the barn has group value with Squerryes Lodge (Grade II*), a house with a medieval core and pre-reformation ecclesiastical associations, and with the wall which runs between the two buildings and is listed at Grade II.
History
The barn at Squerryes Lodge is the end bay of a medieval aisled barn, with subsequent C18 and, or, C19 additions. The building was repaired and renovated in 2019-2021.

The barn is situated to the west of Squerryes Lodge, a house with C13 origins. The manor of Westerham was held by the De Camville family and the house may have been built during the life of Robert De Camville, who inherited in 1235. In 1287 the manor was split, with Squerryes Lodge becoming the manor of the rectory of Westerham, belonging to Christ Church Canterbury. At the Dissolution the manor of the rectory was passed to the Gresham family and was then sold in 1678 to settle debts. In the C18 it came into the hands of the Warde family of nearby Squerryes Court and perhaps at that time took its current name.

The barn is not shown on the Tithe map of 1843, but does appear on the 1884 1:2500 Ordnance Survey map as a building of multiple bays. It is possible either that the barn was relocated to the site from elsewhere in the mid-C19, or that it was omitted from the Tithe map. At some point in the late-C18 or C19 a pair of stables and a store was built into the aisle at the north end of the barn. Between 1884 and 1896 the building became truncated to the south, leaving only the end bay, and a lean-to outshut was built against the new south end wall.

In 2019 samples were taken from barn timbers and subjected to dendrochrological analysis. This identified some of the principal timbers as dating from around 1430.
Details
End bay of an early-C15 medieval aisled barn, with subsequent C18 and, or, C19 additions. Renovated 2019-21 to create domestic stores and subsidiary accommodation.

MATERIALS: timber-framed on a partial rag stone plinth. The later fabric to the south stands on a brick plinth. Walls are faced in weatherboard, apart from to the north, which is red brick. The roof was re-covered in clay tiles in 2019-21.

PLAN: the barn is positioned to the west of Squerryes Lodge, its length running north-east to south-west. The building is principally comprised of the end bay of an aisled barn, with a later lean-to to the south.

In the C18 or C19, stables and stores were built into the aisle at the north end of the barn, and partially into the main space of the surviving bay; another store was created in the east aisle. These spaces have been renovated as stores, a garage and a garden room. Within the main bay of the barn there is a timber mezzanine; one of the stores runs beneath.

The lean-to outshut against the south end, of probable C19 date, runs the full width of the building’s footprint. It has been renovated as subsidiary residential accommodation including a kitchenette, WC and shower room.

EXTERIOR: the building has a curious appearance because of its truncated length. It has a deep roof, typical of aisled barns, hipped to the north and terminating abruptly to the south with a gable end, now glazed to reveal the internal framing, adjoined by the lower hipped roof of the C19 outshut which has a large roof light.

The north end elevation is formed of two pairs of double timber doors to the left and two single doors to the right, the latter flanked by red brickwork laid in Flemish bond with a six-pane casement window to either side.

The other elevations are clad in dark stained weatherboard with an assortment of window and door openings focussed within the outshut to the south. The joinery of these is C21. To the east and west the frame of the barn stands on a rag stone plinth.

INTERIOR: the barn is the full end bay of the early building, including aisles to the east, west and north end, truncated to the south along the bay line.

At the south end aisle posts are buttressed by long curved passing shores. The posts carry a tie beam across the width of the building which supports a tall, central crown post with curved down braces; this carries a collar-purlin upon which the collars of the individual roof trusses rest. This arrangement is typical of a C15 aisled barn in Kent. The north end of the building however has a more unusual arrangement; the wall posts, aisle posts and tie beam are as found to the south but the tie beam lacks a crown post. It is not clear at this time whether a crown post has been lost or whether there was never one in this position; the collar purlin instead meets the central rafter of the hip-end of the roof and is jointed here by a curved brace. The aisle plates continue northwards, jettying out beyond the end aisle posts, supported by curved up-braces. A further tie beam connects the ends of the jettied aisle plates, supported at its centre by a post with curved up-braces to the tie beam.

There is a good survival of early wall framing and studding along the sides of the building, although most of the smaller timbers are now enclosed behind C21 finishes. Major structural timbers have been left exposed, as has the roof structure. There is renewed timber amongst the rafters, evidence of some modification in the frame, and repairs to joints have been made recently, but much of the surviving frame is of considerable age.

The former stables and store inserted at the north end of the barn (now garage and stores) are enclosed externally in brick; the original framing of the barn’s north wall has been lost to brickwork and the various openings.(1)

Historic England, National Heritage List for England (Index). SKE29372.

Sources and further reading